International Migration - 2017 - Handley - The Important Role of Binational Studies For Migration and Health Research A

14682435, 2017, 5, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/imig.12306 by Universitetsbiblioteket I, Wiley Online Library on [28/12/2022].
See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
doi: 10.1111/imig.12306
The Important Role of Binational Studies for

Migration and Health Research: A Review of
US-Mexico Binational Studies and Design
Considerations for Addressing Critical Issues
in Migrant Health
Margaret A. Handley* and May Sudhinaraset*
ABSTRACT
The impact of migration on health is an important and growing concern worldwide. We con-
ducted a literature review of published health literature in PubMed, between January 1999 and
February 2015, representing studies including US and Mexico samples and the title word
“binational”. Fifty-nine studies representing three types of study designs were identified. The
health issues examined included chronic conditions, mental health, substance abuse, reproduc-
tive health, infectious diseases, environmental health, and use of health-care services. Bina-
tional research between the US and Mexico contributes to our understanding of migrant health
and offers critical insights into the processes affecting health outcomes in the US and Mexico.
Future studies of all designs can pay closer attention to the social determinants of health.
BACKGROUND
The literature on migration and health in the US-Mexican context has grown substantially in recent
years, in part, due to efforts from binational University- and community-based programmes such as
the US and Mexico-based Health Initiatives of the Americas Program in Migration and Health
(HIA) and the University of California Institute for Mexico and United States (UCMEXUS). In
border areas, research initiatives have emerged to formalize binational health investigative units
(e.g. the California Office of Border and Binational Health (COBBH) and Centers For Disease
Control-related border and binational health projects) as well as expanding new priority topics for
border health investigations including substance abuse and mental health. (Mier et al., 2008; Strath-
dee et al., 2008; Deiss et al., 2008; Ojeda et al., 2011; Garcia, 2007; Maxwell et al., 2006; Lopez-
Zetina et al., 2010).
For many binational studies, there is an implied conceptual framework that suggests that global-
ization significantly impacts health outcomes, but there is no consensus on the nature of this
influence. There are some studies suggesting that globalization contributes to poor health out-
comes among migrants, as evidenced by characterization of a globalized obesity epidemic in both
countries and exacerbated by unhealthy diets promoted by globally available cheap non-nutritious
* University of California, San Francisco
© 2017 The Authors

International Migration © 2017 IOM
International Migration Vol. 55 (5) 2017
Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. ISSN 0020-7985
14682435, 2017, 5, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/imig.12306 by Universitetsbiblioteket I, Wiley Online Library on [28/12/2022]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
76 Handley and Sudhinaraset
highly marketed foods (Caballero, 2007). This aligns with a social determinants view of migra-
tion and health, such as that described by Casta~neda et al. (Casta~
neda et al., 2015), which main-
tains that “global patterns of morbidity and mortality follow inequities rooted in conditions
produced and reproduced by political economy, such as social structures, policies, and institu-
tions” (such as employment, housing and living conditions, access to food and social services,
regional resource depletion and legal status) and that “as migration flows increase worldwide, the
social determinants of health surround the many individuals who choose to leave or are forced
to leave their homelands for survival, work, safety, and in some cases, an new home in another
land.” On the other hand, binational studies have also identified the benefits of maintaining
transnational ties, with frameworks suggesting resilience, for example, in the area of dietary resili-
ence (Grieshop, 2006; Handley et al., 2013). Along with this growth in numbers of studies and
broadened scope of health issues under investigation, there has also been new types of study
design and methodologies in practice that warrants an appraisal of the binational health literature.
To date, there have been no formal assessments summarizing the outcomes of this US-Mexico
binational research or elaborating on the types of study designs that have been employed to
address questions recent migration-related research examines. In order to characterize recent
research examining many of the complex factors relevant to the enmeshed relationship between
migration and health, we conducted a review of US-Mexico based binational research studies.
The goals of this article are to:
(1) Summarize the US-Mexico binational health literature, presented by the types of binational
study designs employed to investigate migration and health-related questions;
(2) Discuss the limitations and strengths of each design and potential future directions.
METHODS
A literature search of published research articles was conducted to identify binational studies focus-
ing on the US and Mexico context over a 16-year period between January 1999 and February
2015, coinciding with the recent growth in research related to binational health and migration. The
search strategy used the following terms restricted to the title, abstract or keyword fields: binational,
transnational, migration, migrant, health, Mexico, Latin America, border. Databases included
PubMed and the ISI Web of Knowledge. Studies were included that contained binational health
related research findings based on populations recruited from both the US and Mexico. Studies
were excluded if they: (1) did not include binational data collection; (2) did not include individual
level data; (3) focused only on health professionals; (4) did not examine health-related risk factors
or outcomes; or (5) were not available in English or Spanish.
Studies that met eligibility criteria were then categorized into the following binational study
designs: (1) parallel studies; (2) concurrent studies; and (3) ‘look-back’ studies, based on the
authors’ interpretation of the literature (see Figure 1).
• Parallel studies involve primary data collection from two separate populations in the US
and Mexico. Data collection is similar in the two samples and these studies focus on com-
parisons of the prevalence of outcomes and associated risk factors. These studies often use
the same methods and measures, focus on descriptive differences between the two samples,
and may be cross-sectional or cohort based.
• Concurrent studies involve secondary analysis of large data sets collected for population
measures in each country, which were then compared. In recent years, such studies have
grown in number and often focus on either disentangling factors related to acculturation
© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

The Important Role of Binational Studies for Migration and Health Research 77
FIGURE 1
FLOW DIAGRAM OF LITERATURE REVIEW
Search Terms Included:

Binational, transnational, migration, migrant, border and
Mexico, and health
473 non-duplicate Words in title, abstract or key word fields
citations
Inclusion Criteria
Populations recruited from both the US and Mexico
Between January 1999-February 2015
76 Abstracts
Exclusion Criteria
Articles that did not include binational data
Did not examine health-related risk factors or outcomes
Were not available in English or Spanish
59 Full-Texts Did not include individual level data
Focused only on health professionals
Classification of Study Designs

Concurrent
Parallel
13 Concurrent
Studies, 39 Look-back
Parallel-Studies
7 Look-Back
Studies
processes among Mexican-born immigrants or on reducing selection biases associated with

comparing US-born and migrant populations in the US.
• “Look-back” studies involve primary data collection for populations in the US and Mexico
that have explicit or implicit linkages beyond migration. These studies often start with one
migrant community and look-back into their origins prior to migration in order to under-
stand the transnational nature of the connected communities or to understand underlying
issues affecting migrant populations, such as regional conflicts, environmental pressures, or
marginalization of indigenous populations. A “case-cluster” study is a specific type of
“look-back” design in which a case drives the sampling of the cluster.

All studies were further classified as border studies (taking place at the US-Mexico border or
within 100 kilometres of the border) or non-border studies (proximity outside of 100 kilometres of
the border) (California Office of Binational Border Health, 2015).
RESULTS
A total of 473 non-duplicate abstracts were reviewed for inclusion (see Figure 1). Fifty-nine papers
that met the inclusion criteria were identified, representing 45 unique studies at February 12th
2015, and were included. Excluded studies were primarily focused on either a US-only or Mexico-
only sample. Most studies were classified as parallel-studies explicitly stating study goals related to
comparing differences across binational samples (n=39) (Table 1). Thirteen concurrent studies were
included, mostly designed to harness existing independent nationally representative datasets
(Table 2) from the US and Mexico. Seven look-back studies were identified, including two case-
cluster studies (Table 3). The vast majority of included studies were ‘border’ studies (Sonora, Chi-
huaha, Baja California, Tamaulipas, Coahuila de Zaragoza, or Nuevo Leon combined with Califor-
nia, Arizona or Texas).
Fifteen studies related to diabetes, lifestyle factors, nutrition, cardiovascular diseases, or obesity
(Handley et al., 2013; Riosmena et al., 2013; Bostean, 2013; Guendelman et al., 2011; Dıaz-Apo-
daca et al., 2010a; Dıaz-Apodaca et al., 2010b; Vijayaraghavan et al., 2010; Canela-Soler et al.,
2010; Buttenheim et al., 2010; Guendelman et al., 2010; Rosas et al., 2009; Barquera et al., 2008;
Ro and Fleischer, 2014;Vera-Becerra et al., 2013; Morales et al., 2014).
Eight studies focused on infectious disease prevalence or risk factors (Garfein, 2012; Barton-Beh-
ravesh et al., 2008; Goodman et al., 2005; O’Rourke et al., 2003; Giuliano et al., 2002; Z u~
niga
et al., 2012; Servin et al., 2012; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2001). Additional
inclusions were mental health and substance use studies, (Salgado et al., 2014; Pinedo et al., 2014;
Russell et al., 1999; Borges et al., 2012; Leiner et al., 2012; Orozco et al., 2013; Robertson et al.,
2014) studies on social support (Guendelman et al., 2010; Guendelman et al., 2001), on lead poi-
soning, (Villalobos et al., 2009), and on use of health services and health care-related behaviours
(Holmes, 2006; Bergmark, Barr and Garcia, 2010; Rivera et al., 2005; Stallones et al., 2009).
PARALLEL STUDIES
Of the 39 binational parallel studies identified in the review (see Table 1), ten focused on cardio-
vascular disease, diabetes or chronic disease risk factors; seven on reproductive health outcomes;
and five on cancer. Other health outcomes studied include mental health, substance use, violence,
HIV, and asthma. Thirty-five of these studies (90%) were border studies, focusing on prevalence
comparisons of health-related behaviours or health outcomes in border communities, characterizing
the unique risks that can occur near the border, or exploring local surveillance and health education
strategies for reducing health risks along migration routes.
The majority of parallel studies focused on cardiovascular disease, diabetes or chronic disease
risk factors. The US-Mexico Border Diabetes Prevention and Control Project study (2001-2002)
was conducted to examine chronic disease-related prevalence, risk factors and prevention opportu-
nities after epidemiological data indicated that inhabitants of the border region were at higher risk
of diabetes-related mortality than the general population in the two countries (Dıaz-Apodaca et al.,
2010a; Dıaz-Apodaca et al., 2010b; Lorig, Ritter, and Jacquez, 2005). The investigation focused on
diabetes-related factors across a wide-ranging border population, with a view of the border region
as a single epidemiologic geographical unit. The survey was conducted in 44 border communities

TABLE 1
BINATIONAL PARALLEL STUDIES, 1999-2014
Year
Authors Published Key Topics Study Design Data Sources Findings
Robertson AM, Gar- 2014 injection drug use Parallel; Border; Tijuana (n=785) and Assessed attitudes, behaviors, and
fein RS, Wagner behaviors; risk fac- (Prospective, STAHR in San Diego infectious disease profiles among
KD, et al. tors; socio-cultural mixed methods) (n=575); 2012-2014 people who inject drugs in San
and policy factors Diego and Tijuana. Cross-sec-
(among people who tional data from the STAHR study
inject drugs - PWID) indicated that two-thirds of partici-
pants had crossed the border
from San Diego into Tijuana, and
more than a quarter (27%) of this
group had injected drugs in Mex-
ico. Injecting in Mexico was asso-
ciated with injecting heroin,
distributive syringe sharing at
least half of the time, and trans-
porting drugs. In qualitative inter-
views, PWID who injected in
Mexico reported generally heavier
drug use and greater familiarity
with the border region. Travel to
Tijuana served as an option for
some PWID to procure drugs
when they were unable to find
them in San Diego.
Servin AE, Mun~ oz 2012 HIV (patient-provider Parallel; Border HIV-positive Latinos Compared treatment-related beha-
FA, Strathdee SA, relationship) receiving antiretroviral viors for HIV-positive patients

et al. treatment (ART) from receiving care in border cities of
San Diego-Tijuana clin- San Diego and Tijuana. San
ics (n=233); 2009-2010 Diego patients were more likely
The Important Role of Binational Studies for Migration and Health Research
to make unsupervised changes in

ART regimen (59%), but reported
better patient-provider relation-
ships and less stigma. San Diego
patients were twice as likely to
make unsupervised changes in
their ART regimen.
79
80
TABLE 1
(CONTINUED)
Year
Leiner M, Puertas H, 2012 Children’s mental Parallel; Border Participant information Exposure to collective violence
Caratachea R, et al. health (in associa- (cross-sectional, was extracted from and poverty appeared to have an
tion with poverty clinic-based) electronic record data- additive negative effect on chil-
and exposure to bases maintained in six dren’s mental health. Children
collective violence) university-based clinics exposed to both poverty and col-
in the United States lective violence had higher prob-
and nine clinics of the lem scores, than those exposed
Secretaria de Salud in to poverty alone.
Mexico. (El Paso,
Texas and Chihuahua,
Mexico); 2007-2010.
N=466 participants in
2007 (233 in the United
States and 233 in Mex-
ico) and 795 (397 in
the United States and
Handley and Sudhinaraset
398 in Mexico) in 2010.

Sarnat SE, Raysoni 2012 Asthma (prevalence Parallel; Border Asthmatic children from Observed small but consistent
AU, Li WW, et al. and association with two schools in Ciudad associations between airway
air pollution) Juarez, Chihuahua and inflammation and numerous pollu-
two schools in El Paso, tant metrics, with estimated

Texas (n=58) increases in airway inflammation
ranging from 1% to 3% per
interquartile range increase in
pollutant concentrations.
TABLE 1
(CONTINUED)
Year
Zu
n~iga ML, Mun ~oz F, 2012 HIV-ART treatment Parallel; Border Participants in ART Patient-initiated changes to ART
Kozo J, et al. adherence; predic- treatment programs in were reported by 43% of partici-
tors San Diego and Tijuana pants, and was associated with:
(n=230) being female, having ≥1 sexual
partner (past 3 months), ≤6 years
since HIV diagnosis. Poor health
were associated with increased
odds of ART changes (i.e., made
small/major changes from the
antiretroviral drugs prescribed).
Infante C, Idrovo AJ, 2012 Violence-related con- Parallel; Border Survey participants at One-fifth of the total reported hav-
Sanchez-Domın- sequences of migra- (mixed methods) shelters (n=1512) and ing suffered some type of vio-
guez MS, et al. tion in-depth interviews lence in Mexico or the US
(n=22); 2006-2007 (20.4%).Results suggest the dif-
ferent types of violence experi-
enced by migrants which include
threats, verbal abuse, and arbi-
trary detention based on ethnicity,
as well as assaults, beatings and
sexual violence.
Stoddard P, He G, 2010 Diabetes (care, Parallel; Border US-Mexico Border Dia- One in five adults with diabetes
Vijayaraghavan M, smoking rates) betes Prevention and (20.1%) in the region was a cur-
et al. Control Project includ- rent smoker. Prevalence was
ing Mexicans (n=333) higher among Mexicans (26.2%)

and US Hispanics than U.S. Hispanics (10.1%, p =
(n=268); 2001-2002 0.003); differences were not
explained by sociodemographic
or healthcare-related characteris-
tics (odds ratio [OR] 3.86, 95%
confidence interval [CI] 1.50-9.91.
Dıaz-Apodaca BA, 2010 Diabetes (care) Parallel; Border US-Mexico Border Dia-
de Cosıo FG, betes Prevention and
Canela-Soler J, Control Project
et al. (n=4027)
81
TABLE 1
82
(CONTINUED)
Year
Dıaz-Apodaca BA, 2010 Diabetes (care) Parallel; Border Results indicated 42.1% of His-
Ebrahim S, McCor- panics on the U.S. side of the
mack V, et al. border (95% confidence interval
[CI] 35.8%-48.6%) and 37.6% of
Hispanics on the Mexican side
(95% CI 31.3%-44.3%) had con-
trolled diabetes (defined as glyco-
sylated hemoglobin A1c < 7.0%)
of diabetes complications.
Vijayaraghavan M, 2010 Diabetes (care) Parallel; Border US-Mexico Border Dia- Less than one-third of the sample
He G, Stoddard P, betes Prevention and had controlled blood pressure (<
et al. Control Project (n=682) 130/80 mm Hg), almost half had
hypertension (≥140/90 mm Hg),
and hypertension awareness and
treatment were reported inade-
quate.
Canela-Soler J, 2010 Diabetes (care) Parallel; Border US-Mexico Border Dia- After adjusting for demographics,
Frontini M, Cer- betes Prevention and body mass index, and access to
queira MT, et al. Control Project (n=682) health care, there were no differ-
ences in blood pressure control,

hypertension, hypertension
awareness, or treatment between
Mexicans and both U.S. adults
and Mexican immigrants. How-

ever, compared to Mexicans and
Mexican immigrants, U.S.-born
Hispanics, particularly younger
individuals, had the lowest rates
of blood pressure control (17.3%)
and the highest rates of coexist-
ing hypertension (54.8%).
TABLE 1
(CONTINUED)
Year
Hennessy-Burt TE, 2011 Acculturation and risk Parallel; Non-bor- Women in Chavinda, Mexican residents in the US were
Stoecklin-Marois behaviors including der Michoaca
n (n=102) and less likely than US residents to
MT, Meneses- smoking, alcohol Madera, California have consumed at least 12 alco-
Gonzalez F, et al. use and number of (n=93) holic beverages in their lifetimes
sexual partners. (8.8% vs. 24.7%, p<0.001). How-
ever, models adjusted for age
and education comparing Mexi-
can residents to low-acculturated
US residents did not statistically
differ with regard to alcohol use.
Women living in Mexico were
less likely to report more than
one sexual partner in their life-
times than US residents (3.9%
vs. 15.1%, p<0.001) There were
no differences between odds of
smoking among Chavinda and
Madera women.
Guendelman S, Fer- 2010 Child body weight Parallel; Non-bor- Low-income Mexican ori- Observed that ideal child body
nald LCH, Neufeld perceptions among der gin mothers from rural size was considerably lower
LM, et al. mothers and urban communities among Mexican-origin mothers
in Mexico and Califor- living in California (3.86+/-0.56)
nia (n=84) than it was among mothers living

in Mexico (4.32+/-0.83), and this
difference was significant
(p=0.001) after adjusting for
socio-demographic covariates.
Among mothers of overweight
children, 82% of mothers in Cali-
fornia were dissatisfied with their
child’s weight compared with 29%
of mothers in Mexico (p<0.001).
83
TABLE 1
84
(CONTINUED)
Year
Rosas LG, Harley K, 2009 Dietary behaviors; Parallel; Non-bor- Participants from US Observed that approximately 39%
Fernald LCH, et al. Food insecurity der Center for the Health of California mothers and 75% of
Assessment of Mothers Mexico mothers reported low or
and Children of Salinas very low food security in the past
study (n=301), Partici- 12 months (p<0.01). Children in
pants from Mexico the United States experiencing
Proyecto Mariposa food insecurity consumed more
study (n=301) fat, saturated fat, sweets, and
fried snacks than children not
experiencing food insecurity. In
contrast, in Mexico food insecu-
rity was associated with lower
intake of total carbohydrates,
dairy, and vitamin B-6.
Stallones L, Acosta 2009 Workplace health Parallel; Non-bor- Migrant farmworkers in Results identified topics of concern
MSV, Sample P, and safety; preven- der (qualitative Colorado (n=10) and including causes of farm, home
et al. tion perspectives interviews) farmworkers in Mexico and motor vehicle injuries, and
(n=5) treatment preferences for injuries
and illnesses. Four main themes
emerged: safety and health con-

cerns, personal control and pre-
vention strategies, factors
affecting control and prevention
strategies, and the importance of
family.

TABLE 1
(CONTINUED)
Year
Rivera JO, Ortiz M, 2009 Cross-border medica- Parallel; Border Randomly selected Observed that one-third of adult
Cardenas V. tion seeking; adults in El Paso, residents of El Paso and 5% of
Healthcare behav- Texas and Ciudad those in Ciudad Juarez reported
iors Juarez, Chihuahua crossing the border to purchase
(n=1000) medications (p < .001). Lack of
health insurance in the United
States was associated with
crossing the border to purchase
medications. Nine percent and
7% of US residents traveled to
Mexico seeking dental and medi-
cal care, respectively. Mexicans
traveling to the United States to
purchase medications or health
care services were more likely to
be uninsured and more-educated
men.
Russell AY, Williams 1999 Mental health (preva- Parallel; Border Random sampling of two Observed that the young women
MS, Farr PA, et al. lence) populations at US-Mex- in both groups reported intense
ico border (n=600) feelings related to emotional dis-
tress. The young women in Ciu-

dad Juarez reported somewhat
more positive feelings related to
recent well-being.
85
TABLE 1
86
(CONTINUED)
Year
Giuliano AR, Papen- 2002 Cervical cancer risk Parallel; Border Women ages 15-79 In multivariate models, the factors
fuss M, Abraham- factors (Type-spe- years, living in commu- that predict oncogenic infection
sen M, et al. cific HPV preva- nities on both sides of were young age (p = 0.001),
lence, sexual risk the United States-Mex- higher number of lifetime male
factors) ico border and attend- partners (p= 0.001), being single
ing family planning (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.28–2.51), con-
clinics (n=2246) current Chlamydia trachomatis
infection (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.35–
3.16), current use of injectable
contraceptives (OR 2.23, 95% CI
1.39–3.57), and ever use of Nor-
plant (OR 2.37, 95% CI
0.94–5.97). In contrast, non-onco-
genic HPV infection appeared to
be associated with recent sexual
activity, suggesting that non-
oncogenic infections may be
more transient.
Hunter JB, de 2003 Healthcare behavior Parallel; Border House-hold sampling of Mexican participants were more
Zapien JG, Denman (access and under- woman over age 40 likely to have a regular source of
CA, et al. utilization of preven- years (n=456) care and to have had a blood
tive services) sugar test within the past 12
months. U.S. participants more
often reported having had a Pap
smear and mammogram during
the previous year. Factors inde-

pendently positively associated
with having had a routine check-
up during the past 12 months
included age and having a regu-
lar provider or place to go when
sick. Only going to the doctor
when ill was independently inver-
sely associated with routine
check-ups in the past 12 months.
TABLE 1
(CONTINUED)
Year
O’Rourke K, Good- 2003 H. pylori infection Parallel; Border Participants included Reported that the OR for H. pylori
man KJ, Grazio- (prevalence) among 264 children of women prevalence among Mexican chil-
plene M, et al. children from low-income fami- dren as compared with US chil-
lies who were receiving dren was 3.94 (95% confidence
services at health clin- interval: 1.72, 9.06). After adjust-
ics in Juarez, Mexico, ment for covariates, the OR
or El Paso, Texas, from decreased to 1.70 (95% CI 0.64,
April 1998 through 4.52).
October 2000. Children
of women from low-
income families who
were receiving services
at health clinics
(n=264)
Rivera JO, Chaud- 2005 Herbal products (use, Parallel; Border Adult patients scheduled Found that 58% of patients in the
huri K, Gonzalez- disclosure among for surgery (n=227) United States and 49% of
Stuart A, et al. patients scheduled patients in Mexico rated the prod-
for surgery) ucts as “excellent” in treating their
conditions. Ninety-two percent of
U.S, and 93 per cent of Mexican
patients did not inform their
physician of their herbal use. Pre-
operative assessment of patients
did not include inquiries about
herbal products in either hospital.

Lorig KR, Ritter PL, 2005 Outcomes from a Parallel; Border Adults with diabetes or Four-month and 1-year outcomes
Jacquez A. community-based chronic illness (n=445; indicated participants had
Chronic Disease two-thirds with dia- improvements in health behav-

Self-management betes) iors, health status, and self-effi-
Program for dia- cacy. Baseline self-efficacy and
betes Spanish-lan- 4-month change in self-efficacy
guage version were significantly associated with
(Tomando Control improved 1-year outcomes.
de Su Salud)
87
88
TABLE 1
(CONTINUED)
Year
Goodman KJ, 2005 H. pylori infection Parallel; Border Children whose mothers The H. pylori incidence rate was
O’Rourke K, Day among children (ac- were recruited in preg- 1.7% per month (95% CI 1.4-2.0).
RS, et al. quisition, elimina- nancy with follow up Rates were similar in boys and
tion) every 6 months after girls and on both sides of the bor-
birth (n=468) der; evidence suggests, however,
that this similarity could be due to
selection bias.
Bergmark R, Barr D, 2010 Utilization of health Parallel; Border Convenience samples of Reported that sixteen of the 35
Garcia R. care services (re- migrants in US (n=35) current and former immigrants
turning to Mexico) and returned migrants (46%) said they or a close friend
in Mexico and provi- or relative had returned to Mexico
ders (n=10 providers) from the U.S. for health-related
reasons. Among those 15 had
returned to Mexico because they
or one of their traveling compan-
ions was sick or dying. Partici-
pants returned to Mexico for care

due to unsuccessful treatment in
the U.S., the difficulty of access-
ing care in the U.S. and prefer-
ence for Mexican care.

TABLE 1
(CONTINUED)
Year
Robles JL, Lewis KL, 2008 Contraception; Unin- Parallel; Border Postpartum women in Observed high rates of unintended
Folger SG, et al. tended pregnancy (cluster-sampling the Brownsville-Mata- pregnancy, occurring in 48% of
(behaviors, beliefs) design, stan- moros Sister City Pro- women overall. Among women
dardized data ject for Women’s with unintended pregnancy who
collection) Health who delivered in did not use contraception, 34.1%
hospitals (n=947). of Mexico residents believed they
could not become pregnant and
28.4% of US residents reported
no reason for nonuse. Signifi-
cantly fewer Matamoros women
(62.1%) than Cameron County
women (95.7%) reported ever
having had a Pap test. odds of
ever having had a Pap test were
7.41 times greater in Cameron
County than in Matamoros (95%
confidence interval, 4.07-13.48).
Barton-Behravesh C, 2008 taeniasis tapeworm Parallel; Border Household interviews in Prevalence of taeniasis in this bor-
Mayberry LF, et al. infection prevalence El Paso, Texas and der region was found to be 3%
and risk factors Ciudad Jua rez, Chi- Compared with the residents of
huahua. Fecal samples Juarez, El Paso residents were
from household mem- 8.6-fold more likely to be tape-

bers were checked for worm carriers.
Taenia infection.
89
90
TABLE 1
(CONTINUED)
Year
Wallace D, Hunter J, 2007 Cervical cancer Parallel; Border Population-based survey Observed that the factors indepen-
Papenfuss M, et al. (screening rates, (cross-sectional) (n=456) dently positively associated with
access, utilization, Pap smear screening were age,
orientation towards clinical breast exam in the last
prevention) year, doctor recommendation of a
Pap test, living in the United
States, and checkup in the past
year. Having a regular source of
health care, as well as a doctor’s
recommendation for a Pap
smear, appears to have a posi-
tive effect on women’s Pap
smear screening rates in U.S.-
Mexico border communities.
Banegas MP, Bird Y, 2012 Breast cancer Parallel; Border Interviewer-administered U.S. Latinas had significantly
Moraros J, et al. screening and risk (cross-sectional) questionnaire that increased odds of having ever
factors obtained information on received a mammogram/breast
sociodemographic ultrasound (adjusted OR=2.95)
characteristics, knowl- and clinical breast examination

edge, attitudes, family (OR=2.67) compared to Mexican
history, and screening participants. A significantly
practices. Survey of greater proportion of Mexican
Mexicans (n=128) and women had high knowledge

US-born Latinos levels (54.8%) compared to U.S.
(n=137) Latinas (45.2%, p<0.05). Age,
education, and insurance status
were significantly associated with
breast cancer screening use.
TABLE 1
(CONTINUED)
Year
Garfein R. Collins K, 2012 Directly Observed Parallel; Border TB patients in San Overall, 90% and 97% of the
Munoz F, et al Therapy (DOT); Diego (n=43) and expected videos were received
mobile phone inter- Tijuana (n=9) were on-schedule from patients in San
ventions included in an interven- Diego and Tijuana respectively.
tion using mobile Post-treatment interview respon-
phones and video-V ses were similar across cities.
DOT, wherein patients Patients and providers easily
take videos of them- adopted the technology. Patients
selves taking medica- required only 3 training sessions
tion to send to on average before being able to
providers. perform VDOT independently.
Overall, 89% of patients reported
never or rarely having problems
recording videos, 92% preferred
VDOT over in-person DOT, and
81% thought VDOT was more
confidential. All patients said they
would recommend VDOT to other
TB patients.

91
92
TABLE 1
(CONTINUED)
Year
McDonald JA, Rishel 2008 Reproductive health Parallel; Border Postpartum women Found that the numbers of births
K, Escobedo MA, (Cluster-sam- delivering in hospitals per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19
et al. pling design, (n=947); The Browns- years and 20 to 24 years were
standardized ville-Matamoros Sister similar in the 2 communities
data collection) City Project for (110.6 and 190.2 in Matamoros
Women’s Health and 97.5 and 213.1 in Cameron
County, respectively). Overall,
38.5% of women experienced
cesarean birth. Matamoros
women reported fewer prior preg-
nancies than did Cameron
County women and were less
likely to receive early prenatal
care but more likely to initiate
breastfeeding. Few women
smoked before pregnancy, but
the prevalence of alcohol use in

Cameron County was more than
double that of Matamoros. In both
communities combined, 34.0% of
women used contraception at first

sexual intercourse.
TABLE 1
(CONTINUED)
Year
Castrucci BC, 2008 Reproductive health Parallel; Border Postpartum women Prevalence of attempted breast-
Guzma n AE, Sar- (cluster-sampling delivering in hospitals feeding before hospital discharge
aiya M, et al. design, stan- (n=947); The Browns- was 81.9% in Matamoros com-
dardized data ville-Matamoros Sister pared with 63.7% in Cameron
collection) City Project for County. After adjusting for poten-
Women’s Health tial confounders, the odds of
attempted breastfeeding before
hospital discharge were 90%
higher in Matamoros than in
Cameron County (adjusted OR,
1.93; 95% [CI], 1.31-2.84 for the
combined model). In the 2 com-
munities combined, odds of
attempted breastfeeding before
hospital discharge were higher
among women who had a vaginal
delivery than among women who
had a cesarean delivery (AOR,
1.98; 95% CI, 1.43-2.75) and
were lower among women who
delivered infants with a low birth
weight than among women who
delivered infants with a normal

birth weight (AOR, 0.26; 95% CI,
0.15-0.44).
93
94
TABLE 1
(CONTINUED)
Year
Castrucci BC, Pin

~a 2008 Reproductive health Parallel; Border Postpartum women Found that significantly fewer
Carrizales LE, (cluster-sampling delivering in hospitals Matamoros women (62.1%) than
D’Angelo DV, et al design, stan- (n=947); The Browns- Cameron County women (95.7%)
dardized data ville-Matamoros Sister reported ever having had a Pap
collection) City Project for test. Only 12% of Matamoros
Women’s Health women said they received their
most recent Pap test during pre-
natal care, compared with nearly
75% of Cameron County women.
After adjusting for potential con-
founders, the odds of ever having
had a Pap test were 7.41 times
greater in Cameron County than
in Matamoros (95% CI, 4.07-
13.48).
Galvan-Gonza
lez 2008 Reproductive health Parallel; Border Postpartum women Numbers of births per 1,000
FG, Mirchandani (cluster-sampling delivering in hospitals women aged 15 to 19 years and
GG, McDonald JA, design) (n=947); The Browns- 20 to 24 years were similar in the
et al. ville-Matamoros Sister 2 communities (110.6 and 190.2

City Project for in Matamoros and 97.5 and 213.1
Women’s Health in Cameron County, respectively).
Matamoros women reported
fewer prior pregnancies than did
Cameron County women and

were less likely to receive early
prenatal care but more likely to
initiate breastfeeding. Few
women smoked before preg-
nancy, but the prevalence of
alcohol use in Cameron County
was more than double that of
Matamoros.
TABLE 1
(CONTINUED)
Year
Gossman GL, Carillo 2008 Reproductive health Parallel; Border Postpartum women The prevalence of prenatal HIV
Garza CA, Johnson (cluster-sampling delivering in hospitals testing varied by place of resi-
CH, et al. design) in 2005. Matamoros, dence–57.6% in Matamoros and
Tamaulipas, Mexico (n 94.8% in Cameron County.
= 489), or Cameron Women in Cameron County were
County, Texas (n = significantly more likely than
458). The Brownsville- those in Matamoros to be tested.
Matamoros Sister City Marital status, education, knowl-
Project for Women’s edge of methods to prevent HIV
Health transmission (adult-to-adult), dis-
cussion of HIV screening with a
health care professional during
prenatal care, and previous HIV
testing were significantly associ-
ated with prenatal HIV testing in
Matamoros.
Vera-Becerra LE, 2013 Obesity (prevalence, Parallel; Non-bor- Interviewed mothers and Prevalence of overweight [body
Lopez ML, Kaiser risk factors) der weighed children aged mass index z-score (BMIZ) >1.0
LL. 1-6 in US (n=95) and and <1.65] and obesity (BMIZ >
Mexico (n=200) in 1.65) was 21.1 and 28.4% in the
2006. US respectively, compared to
11.5 and 12.9% in Mexico (p <
0.001). No differences were
observed in maternal ability to

identify correctly the child’s
weight status or ever being told
the child was overweight. US chil-
dren ate away from home more

often (p < 0.0001), had fewer
family meals (p < 0.0001), and
played outdoors less often than
Mexican children (p < 0.0002).
95
TABLE 1
96
(CONTINUED)
Year
Martınez ME, Pond 2013 Obesity (prevalence) Parallel; Non-bor- Ella National Breast Prevalence of obesity ([BMI] ≥ 30
E, Wertheim BC, der Cancer Study of Mexi- kg/m2) was 38.9%. For Waist Cir-
et al. can-Americans and cumference, the multivariate OR
Mexicans women with for having WC ≥ 35 inches in
breast cancer focusing women with ≥4 pregnancies rela-
on women with high tive to those with 1–2 pregnan-
parity (n=974). 2009. cies was 1.59 (95% CI 1.01–
2.47). Higher parity (≥4 pregnan-
cies) was non-significantly associ-
ated with high BMI (OR = 1.10;
95% CI 0.73–1.67).
Martınez ME. 2010 Reproductive health Parallel; Non-bor- Ella Binational Breast Observed that US women had
der Cancer Study in US lower parity, breastfeeding rates,
(n=364) and Mexico higher use of oral conceptives,
(n=401) in 2009. hormone replacement therapy,
and family history of breast can-
cer compared to Mexican women.
Nodora JN, Gallo L, 2014 Reproductive health Parallel; Non-bor- Ella Binational Breast Observed that after adjustment for
Cooper R, et al. der Cancer Study in US age and education, compared to
(n=364) and Mexico women residing in Mexico, Mex-

(n=401) in 2009. ican-Americans were significantly
more likely to have an earlier age
at menarche (<12 years; OR
2.08; 95% CI 1.30–3.34), less

likely to have a late age at first
birth (≥30 years; OR=0.49; 95%
CI, 0.25–0.97), and less likely to
ever breastfeed (OR=0.13; 95%
CI, 0.08–0.21).
TABLE 2
BINATIONAL CONCURRENT STUDIES, 1999-2014
Author Year Outcomes Study design Data sources Findings
McDonald JA, 2013 Reproductive health Concurrent; Border and Birth certificate data with Observed that among women
Mojarro O, Sutton (birth rate trends, Non-border Hispanic variable in US in the border region, US
PD, et al. prevalence of maternal data Birth used to women had more lifetime
health indicators) restrict data analysis births than Mexican women
(2009-2010) throughout the decade. Birth
rates in the group aged 15 to
19 years were high in both
the US (73.8/1,000) and Mexi-
can (86.7/1,000) border
regions. Late or no prenatal
care was nearly twice as
prevalent in the border
regions as in the non-border
regions of border states. Teen
pregnancy and inadequate
prenatal care were identified
as shared problems in US-
Mexico border communities.
Orozco R, Borges G, 2013 Mental health (use of Concurrent; Non-border Merged Mexican Indicated that Mexican-Amer-
Medina-Mora ME, services; prevalence of National Comorbidity icans were worse off in terms
et al. psychoactive disorders) Survey (2001-2002) of psychiatric disorders than
and US Collaborative Mexicans with no migrants in
Psychiatric Epidemiol- family. 12-month prevalence

ogy Surveys (2001- of any disorder was more than
2003); used Composite twice as high among third-
International Diagnostic and higher generations of
Interview data Mexican-Americans (21%)

than among Mexicans with no
migrants in their family (8%).
97
TABLE 2
98
(CONTINUED)
Riosmena F, Wong 2013 Diabetes, hypertension, Concurrent; Non-border Mexican Health and Observed an immigrant advan-
R, Palloni A. smoking, obesity, self- Aging Study (2001) and tage relative to non-Hispanic
rated health (preva- US National Health whites in hypertension and, to
lence); exploration of Interview Survey (1997 a lesser extent, obesity. Evi-
emigration biases –2007); concurrent dence is consistent with emi-
design enabled analy- gration selection, and self-
sis to reduce selection rated health among immi-
biases from return- grants with less than 15 years
migration attrition of experience in the United
States. No evidence identified
consistent with sociocultural
protection mechanisms.
Herrera DG, 2012 Cancer screening in Concurrent; Border Mexico National Survey Residence is US was associ-
Schiefelbein EL, women (prevalence of of Health and Nutrition ated with higher cervical can-
Smith R, et al. cervical cancer screen- (2006) and US Behav- cer screening rates. Sixty-five
ing and predictors) ioral Risk Factor percent (95% CI 60.3-68.6) of
Surveillance System in US women and 32% (95% CI
44 US border countries 28.7-35.2) of Mexican women
(n=1724) and 80 Mexi- had a recent Pap test. Mar-
can border municipios riage and insurance were
(n=1454); adjusted associated with a recent Pap

prevalence ratios test on both sides of the bor-
(APR) calculated. der.
Borges G, Rafful C, 2012 Alcohol use (prevalence Concurrent; Non-border Mexican National Observed that female immi-
Benjet C, et al. and risk factors) Comorbidity Survey grants had a lower risk of hav-
(2001-2002) (n=2878) ing opportunities to use

and Collaborative Psy- alcohol if they immigrated
chiatric Epidemiology after age of 13, but a higher
Surveys (2001-2003) risk if they immigrated prior to
NCSR (n=66) NLAAS this age; male immigrants
(n=488) showed no difference.
TABLE 2
(CONTINUED)
Bostean G. 2013 Self-rated health; Concurrent; Non-border Mexican Family Life Sur- Self-rated health patterns
Chronic conditions vey (2002) combined revealed that non-migrant
(prevalence); and the with US National Mexicans had lower odds of
healthy migrant effect Health Interview Survey reporting fair or poor health
and emigration bias (2001-2003) compared to almost all other
hypotheses (n=160,265) groups, with the exception of
Mexican return migrants
whose odds of poor health
were not significantly lower
than non-migrant Mexicans
(OR = 0.748, ns). Immigrants
negatively selected on self-
rated health. Established Mex-
ican immigrants, and U.S.-
born Mexicans and Whites
had significantly higher odds
of chronic conditions than
non-migrant Mexicans.

99
100
TABLE 2
(CONTINUED)
Breslau J, Borges G, 2011 Conduct disorder (preva- Concurrent; Non-border Mexican National Results indicated lower levels
Saito N, et al. lence in adults related Comorbidity Survey of conduct disorder in Mexico
to environmental and (MNCS) and National population compared to
genetic influences) Latino and Asian Amer- migrants in US or raised in
ican Study, National US. Compared with the risk in
Comorbidity Survey families of origin of migrants,
Replication (NCS-R) risk of CD was lower in the
part of the Collabora- general population of Mexico
tive Psychiastric Epi- (OR 0.54; 95% CI, 0.19-1.51),
demiology Survey higher in children of Mexican-
(CPES); used World born immigrants who were
Mental Health version raised in the United States
of the Composite Inter- (OR, 4.12; 95% CI, 1.47-
national Diagnostic 11.52), and higher still in Mex-
Interview (n=2663) ican-American children of US-

born parents (OR, 7.64; 95%
CI, 3.20-18.27). Prevalence of
CD increases dramatically
across generations of the

Mexican-origin population
after migration to the United
States.
TABLE 2
(CONTINUED)
Guendelman S, Rit- 2011 Overweight or obesity Concurrent; Non-border National Health and Observed similar high preva-
terman-Weintraub (prevalence); Perceived Nutrition Examination lence of overweight and obe-
ML, Fernald LCH, weight Survey waves (2001- sity in both samples. The
et al. 2006) (n=855) and prevalence of overweight or
Mexican National obese (OO) in Mexican
Health and Nutrition women was 72% and in Mexi-
Survey (2006) (n=9527) can-American women was
71%. OO Mexican-American
women were more likely than
OO Mexican women to label
themselves as “overweight”
(86% vs. 64%, p<0.001).
Fewer women in Mexico were
screened by health care provi-
der.

101
102
TABLE 2
(CONTINUED)
Buttenheim A, Gold- 2010 Smoking, obesity (preva- Concurrent; Non-border National Health Interview Observed that the education-
man N, Pebley AR, lence across education Survey (2000–2005) health relationship is weaker
et al. gradients) and the Mexican among Mexican-origin popula-
National Health Survey tions in the US compared to
(2000); pooled sample whites, for both men and
is weighted according women. For obesity, it
to the NHIS sampling appears that men of all ethnic-
scheme (n = 94,595) ity/nativity groups have a
weak education gradient,
while recently-arrived Mexican
women have a non-linear rela-
tionship that is distinct from
the other groups.
Results partially support the
imported gradients hypothesis
and have implications for
health education and promo-

tion programs targeted to
immigrant populations to
reduce racial and ethnic dis-
parities in health in the US.

TABLE 2
(CONTINUED)
Barquera S, Durazo- 2008 Blood pressure, hyper- Concurrent; Non-border National representative Observed that the prevalence
Arvizu RA, Luke A, tension (prevalence, sample of the adult of hypertension (BP > or =
et al. patterns of hyperten- population from Mexico 140/90 or treatment) were
sion awareness and (2000) (n=49,294) and 33%, 17% and 22%. Hyper-
treatment) data on Mexican Amer- tension control rates were
icans from National 3.7%, 32.1% and 37.9%, in
Health and Nutrition the same groups. Awareness
Examination survey and treatment rates were 25%
from the United States and 13% in Mexico and 54%
(1999-2004) (n=8688) and 46% among Mexican-
Americans in the United
States, respectively. Hyperten-
sion appears to be more com-
mon in Mexico than
among Mexican immigrants to
the United States.

103
TABLE 2
104
(CONTINUED)
Ro A, Fleischer N. 2014 Obesity (prevalence and Concurrent; Non-border Data from 2000 Mexican Observed that US-born Mexi-
risk factors) National Health Survey can men and women consis-
(ENSA) (n=36,777), the tently had higher obesity risk
2012 Mexican National compared to recent immi-
Health and Nutrition grants across both time
Survey (ENSANUT) points. In the combined sam-
(n=32,813) and US ple, we saw significantly
National Health Inter- higher obesity risk in 2012
view Surveys (1999- than in 2000, mirroring the ris-
2000, n= 5073; and ing obesity trend. Mexican
2012, n= 5733) men who were the least likely
to migrate had significantly
higher obesity prevalence
than recent immigrants. For
women, however, there was a
clear trend in health selection
at both time points. In both
2000 and 2012, Mexican
national women had signifi-
cantly higher obesity preva-
lence than recent immigrant

women.
Morales LS, Flores 2014 Cardiovascular disease Concurrent; Non-border Mexican Health Worker US participants were more
YN, Leng M, et al. (prevalence and risk Cohort Study (n= 8379) likely than Mexican partici-
factors) and US National Health pants to have hypertension,
and Nutrition Examina- high total cholesterol, dia-

tion Survey (1999-2006) betes, obesity, and abdominal
(n= 2459) obesity, and were less likely
to have low HDL cholesterol
and smoke. Less-educated
men and women were more
likely to have low HDL choles-
terol, obesity, and abdominal
obesity.
TABLE 2
(CONTINUED)
Breslau J, Aguilar- 2007 Mental health (preva- Concurrent non-border; National probability sam- Observed that preexisting anxi-
Gaxiola S, Borges lence and risk factors) cross-sectional ples of Mexican ety disorders predicted immi-
G, et al. migrants in US (n=76) gration. Immigration predicted
and Mexican popula- subsequent onset of and
tions (n=2326). Based mood disorders and persis-
on nationally represen- tence of anxiety disorders.
tative survey versions Results are inconsistent with
of World Health Organi- the “healthy immigrant”
zation’s World Mental hypothesis (that mentally heal-
Health Survey Initiative. thy people immigrate) and
partly consistent with the “ac-
culturation stress” hypothesis
(i.e., that stresses of living in
a foreign culture promote
mental disorders).

105
TABLE 3 106
BINATIONAL LOOK-BACK STUDY DESIGNS, 1999-2014
Author Year Outcome Study design Data sources Findings
de Oca VM, Garcıa 2011 Health and quality of Look-back; Non- Semi-structured interviews Results suggest that different time
TR, Sa
enz R, et al. life with aging border (2009) conducted in US periods in the previous 60 years
(n=86) and in Mexico for par- of Mexican migration to the US,
ticipants who had once lived age at migration, and the condi-
or sought employment in US tions under which the migration
(n=38). trajectory developed, have unique
impacts on the health and quality
of life of elderly, and that a life-
course perspective on migrant
health is important.
Ramos MM, Moham- 2005 Dengue outbreak look-back Case- Outbreak investigation (n=1251 Estimated that the percentage of
med H, Zielinski- (clinical and epi- cluster; Border cases) dengue hemorrhagic fever cases
Gutierrez E, et al. demiologic investi- associated with dengue fever out-
gation) breaks at the Texas-Tamaulipas
border has increased over time.
Villalobos M, Merino- 2009 Lead poisoning (epi- look-back Case- Environmental and epidemio- Observed that there were multiple
Sa nchez C, Hall C, demiologic) cluster; Non-bor- logic outbreak investigation of risk factors for lead poisoning in
et al. der lead poisoning cases from the the sending community via: food
US that were associated with production and the environment,
eating imported foods from including significant presence of
sending community lead in mine wastes, in specific
foodstuffs, and in glazed cook-

ware.
Holmes SM. 2006 Patient-provider rela- Look-back; Non- Ethnographic study with partici- Observed structural racism and
tionships with border pant observation and inter- anti-immigrant practices that con-
migrant farmwork- views on farms and in clinics tributed to the poor working con-

ers; Health care and throughout 15 months of ditions, living conditions, and
social contexts migration with a group of health of migrant workers. Subtle
indigenous Triqui Mexicans in racism was described as reduc-
the western US and Mexico ing awareness of this social con-
text for those involved with the
workers, including clinicians.
TABLE 3
(CONTINUED)
Pinedo M, Campos 2014 Alcohol use Look-back; Non- Population based survey of Observed vulnerability to alcohol
Y, Leal D, et al. border indigenous participants from use related to both domestic and
Tunkas in Yucatan (n=583) international migration. US migra-
and California (n=67) tion of shorter duration (<5 years)
was independently associated
with at-risk drinking (adjusted OR
2.34; 95% confidence interval
(CI) 1.09–5.03), as was longer-
duration domestic migration (≥5
years) (AOR 2.34; 95% CI 1.12–
4.87). Ability to speak Maya
(AOR 0.26; 95% CI 0.13–0.48)
was protective against at-risk
drinking.
Salgado H, Haviland 2014 Depression and dis- Look-back; Non- Population based survey of Observed relatively low rates of
I, Hernandez M, crimination border indigenous participants from depression (7%). A much higher
et al. Tunkas in Yucatan (n=583) percentage (41%) of individuals
and California (n=67) with “any US migration experi-
ence” reported perceived discrim-
ination, while 20% of those with
only “domestic migration experi-
ence” and 13% with “no migration

experience” reported being dis-
criminated against. Observed that
discrimination factors may effect
depression, and observed that

religiosity was a protective factor.
107
108
TABLE 3
(CONTINUED)
Handley MA, Robles 2013 Dietary behaviors; look-back Concur- Qualitative study using 4 focus Themes related to nutrition inclu-
M, Sanford E, et al. food insecurity; rent; Non-border groups and 29 in-depth inter- ded: (1) the paradox between
views about food views in sending and receiv- participants’ experience growing
resources ing indigenous communities in up with food insecurity and fond
Monterey California and Oax- memories of a healthier diet; (2)
aca Mexico mothers’ current kitchen struggles
as they contend with changes in
food preferences and time
demands, and the role ‘care
packages’ play in alleviating
these challenges; (3) positive
views about home-grown versus
store-bought vegetables; and (4)

the role of commercial nutritional
supplements and the support
they provide.

(28 in Mexico and 16 in the United States) and focused on comparing Mexican migrants to US
whites and Mexican Hispanics who had not migrated. Canela-Soler (2010) found that controlling
for demographic characteristics, there were no statistically significant differences in blood pressure
control, hypertension, or treatment between Mexicans and US adults and Mexican-immigrants.
However, compared with Mexicans, US-born Hispanics had lower odds of controlled blood pres-
sure and greater odds of hypertension and hypertension awareness (Canela-Soler et al., 2010).
Studies focused on the reproductive health of US and Mexican women are also well represented
in the included studies using a parallel design. This is in part due to the Brownsville-Matamoros
Sister Project, which was developed in response to concerns that maternal and child health services
along the Mexico-US border were inadequate, based on high birth rates, poverty, lack of services,
and dramatic industrial and population growth, relative to other areas of each country (Robles
et al., 2008; Uribe Z u~niga, 2008; Kotelchuck, 2008; McDonald, 2008; McDonald et al., 2008;
Galvan Gonzalez et al., 2008; Castrucci et al., 2008a; Castrucci et al., 2008b). The project focused
on a locally developed system for reproductive health surveillance in the sister communities of
Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and Cameron County, Texas, as a model for a localized regional
approach that could be applied in other border settings. The investigators sampled hospitalized
women in both border settings who delivered live infants in any of 10 larger hospitals (ie. hospitals
with a minimum of 100 deliveries per year) in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Cameron County, Tex-
as, over a several month period in 2005. In this study, US-residing migrant women and those who
lived in Mexico were selected through systematic sampling, stratified by hospital, in one particular
geographic area between Texas and Mexico. The studies found that, compared with women living
in the US, women in the Mexico side of the border were less likely to report ever having had a
Pap test (Castrucci et al., 2008), more likely to attempt breastfeeding before being discharged from
the hospital (Castrucci et al., 2008), reported fewer prior pregnancies, less likely to receive early
prenatal care (Galvan Gonzalez et al., 2008) or to have prenatal HIV testing (Gossman, 2008),
while there were similar numbers of births in the two communities (McDonald, 2008).
Additionally, on-going research in the California-Mexico border cities of San Diego, Tijuana and
Ciudad Juarez focuses on the significant risks for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections
(STI) among sex workers and clients and among substance abusers, within the context of the high
prevalence of drug trafficking in several of these cities on either side of the US-Mexico border
region (Strathdee et al., 2008; Deiss et al., 2008; Ojeda et al., 2011). In this work, a series of bina-
tional studies have been conducted in the border communities of San Diego, Tijuana and Ciudad
Juarez to document the high rates of HIV and STI infection and specific populations identified as
being at increased HIV risk, including female sex workers and clients. One study that was excluded
from the papers summarized in Table 1, because it was limited to provider attitudes, focused on
the border comparing provider perceptions of complementary and alternative medicine in the US
vs. Mexico border region as it related to HIV outcomes (Mu~ noz, 2013). Following these descriptive
border studies, this research team subsequently developed a series of behavioural interventions tar-
geted at condom use and other HIV-related preventive behaviors (the Mujer Segura/healthy woman
project). These intervention studies targeted HIV prevention content on each side of the border,
based on differences in service availability, (particularly related to substance use), and underlying
social contexts, such as sex work, in the two different sides of the border.
Parallel non-border studies included in this review focused on obesity (Ro and Fleischer, 2014)
and breast cancer (Martınez, 2010; Martınez et al., 2013; Nodora et al., 2014; Banegas et al.,
2002).US women had lower parity, breastfeeding rates, higher use of oral contraceptives, hormone
replacement therapy, and family history of breast cancer compared to Mexican women (Martınez,
2010). Additionally, US women had higher prevalence of overweight and obesity compared to
women in Mexico (Ro and Fleischer, 2014). Overall, these parallel study designs typically focused
on border communities, which allowed comparisons of two populations in similar proximity, but
did not lead to interpretation of the findings beyond these unique settings.

CONCURRENT STUDIES
A total of 13 concurrent design studies were identified with most published since 2010 (see
Table 2). The topics of study were similar to the studies with parallel designs. However, some of
these concurrent designs focused on examining the Hispanic Health Paradox and the Immigrant
Health Advantage, as described below (Riosmena, Wong and Palloni, 2013) or included samples
with measures not previously included in binational studies (Guendelman et al., 2011). These stud-
ies included samples of Mexican immigrants living in the US, US-born Latinos, Mexicans living in
Mexico, and Mexican populations in Mexico who had been identified as having migration history.
Investigation of the Hispanic Health Paradox and the Immigrant Health Advantage
Explicit in many of the chronic disease focused studies in particular, are attempts either to avoid or
to investigate a potential bias in self-selection among Mexicans to migrate to the US. In previous
studies, Mexican migrants to the US often appeared to be healthier than US-born Latinos but there
was often an attenuation over time of the health benefits of migration, posited to relate to an accu-
mulation of stressors in the US environment.
The formation of concurrent designs and merged large-scale data sets enables a different type of
comparison that includes the populations of non-migrants. As described by Ro and Fleisher (2014),
previous research had focused only on immigrants and US-born and did not examine non-Migrants
living in Mexico. Studies that addressed this topic include those by Riosmena et al. (2013), Bos-
tean (2013), Buttenheim (2010), and Ro and Fleisher (2014). An excellent example of this type of
study is that by Riosmena et al. (2013). This study included men ages over 50 from the Mexican
Health and Aging Study in 2001 and the US National Health Interview Study (NHIS) between
1997–2007. The authors examined six indicators: self-reported hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cur-
rent smoking, fair/poor self-rated health, and height. Findings from the NHIS for whether or not
Mexican immigrants are healthier suggest that Mexican immigrants with less than 15 years of US
experience have no clear advantage in indicators except for hypertension, for which immigrants
have 68 per cent lower odds than non-Hispanic whites (p < .001). Although the data suggest a mild
advantage for immigrants regarding diabetes and obesity, these studies suggest that it is important
to take into account the initial conditions under which the migration trajectory occurred, rather than
focus only on cross-sectional comparisons. The authors did not find any evidence consistent with
sociocultural protective mechanisms in their study sample and propose that emigration and return
selection mechanisms may be more relevant for explaining the immigrant health advantage.
Examination of Chronic Disease Risk with Inclusion of Externally Measured

Indicators
In a study focused on women, Guendelman et al. (2011) examined the NHIS 2001-2006 data and
the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Study from 2006 to explore both overweight and per-
ceptions of overweight among Mexican-American women and Mexican women. A strength of this
study was that actual weight was assessed by health technicians using BMI measurements. Weight
misperceptions were common in both populations but more prevalent in the sample from Mexico.
The prevalence of overweight or obesity (OO) in Mexican women was 72 per cent and in Mexi-
can-American women it was 71 per cent. OO Mexican-American women were more likely than
OO Mexican women to label themselves as “overweight” (86% vs. 64%, p < 0.001), and this dif-
ference was significant while controlling for socio-demographic and weight-related variables.
In general, the included concurrent studies focus on country-level differences that might provide
insights into determining modifiable factors that may come with migration or that may

disproportionately affect the populations who do not migrate. These studies could be further
enhanced by exploring regional variations that are likely to impact OO outcomes. A significant gap
in these studies, however, relates to a lack of focus on the social determinants of heath. In the case
of obesity, for example, programmes and policies aimed at reducing obesity among children of
Mexican origin in the US as well as in Mexico would benefit from a better understanding of the
underlying social and economic factors that contribute to obesity on both sides of the border.
LOOK-BACK STUDIES
We identified seven studies that were characterized by this design, which emphasizes primary data
collection among populations in the US and Mexico that have explicit or implicit linkages through
migration (see Table 3). One of the seven studies focused on a border setting (Ramos et al., 2008),
which coincided with an outbreak of dengue fever. Studies classified as look-back studies involved
several types of data collection including: ethnographic field work and participant observation (Vil-
lalobos et al., 2009; Holmes, 2006); qualitative interviews (Grieshop, 2006); and semi-structured
interviews (Guendelman et al., 2001). The included studies focuses on a variety of health topics
and several incorporated social determinants frameworks. Examples include: descriptions of health
and aging; risk factors for dengue fever; risk factors for lead poisoning among indigenous migrants;
risk factors for alcohol abuse, depression, discrimination; and description of the social context of
migrant farm workers and its relationship to health and health care.
Examination of risk, vulnerability and social context among population of Indigenous

Migrants
Five of the studies focused on indigenous Mexican populations, involving three different populations
from Mexican states of Oaxaca, with distinct languages (Triqui and Zapotecan); (Handley et al., 2013;
Villalobos et al., 2009; Holmes, 2006) and Yucatan (Tunkas) (Salgado et al., 2014; Pinedo et al.,
2014). This focus on indigenous populations in recent studies may reflect a surge in migration pressures
within indigenous populations, for whom migration to the US has increased dramatically since the
1990s as a consequence of regional conflicts and environmental pressures (Pinedo et al., 2014). Cur-
rently, in the US there are approximately 57 different ethnic indigenous migrant groups from Mexico
and there is a strong awareness that indigenous persons are highly marginalized in both Mexico and in
the United States. Migrants and sending communities often face considerable social, cultural, and struc-
tural disparities that place them at high vulnerability for poor health outcomes, including mental health
problems, chronic diseases, occupational hazards, and barriers to access to care, which are reflected in
several of the look-back studies (Pinedo et al., 2014).
For example, the studies by Pinedo et al. (2014) and Salgado et al. (2014) focus on improving
an understanding of the risk behaviours and determinants of vulnerability among an indigenous
population in both the US and Mexico, particularly around the issues of alcohol abuse, depression,
discrimination and religiosity which have rarely been studied among migrants. The investigators
selected a sending community with high rates of both domestic migration and international migra-
tion, to explore both of these factors in more detail. Salgado et al. reported that migration experi-
ence and current US residence were associated with high levels of perceived discrimination, which
in turn were associated with a higher risk for depressive symptoms. However, religiosity was asso-
ciated with lower perceived discrimination among women. Pinedo et al. reported that US migration
of shorter duration (<5 years) was independently associated with at-risk drinking (adjusted odds
ratio (AOR) 2.34; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09–5.03), as was longer-duration domestic

migration (≥5 years) (AOR 2.34; 95% CI 1.12–4.87). Ability to speak Maya (AOR 0.26; 95% CI
0.13–0.48) was protective against at-risk drinking.
In the case-cluster outbreak investigative work by Handley et al. (2007) and Villalobos et al.
(2009) there was a targeted investigation into sources of lead poisoning affecting a specific transna-
tional indigenous community from Oaxaca. In this investigation the original lead poisoning prob-
lem was identified in Seaside, California (Monterey County) among Zapotecan Oaxacan migrants
to California who received and consumed home-prepared foods from their families back home,
transported through community “envios” (delivery) companies, which operate like mom-and-pop
package express businesses. Although many Oaxacan immigrants to the different cities included in
the study received such packages, only those who were originally from the Zimatlan district of
Oaxaca (including the towns of Zimatlan de Alvarez, Santa Inez Yatziche, and San Pablo Huixte-
pec) had elevated lead levels, leading the investigators to explore what was going on in the Zimat-
lan community that was resulting in so much lead contamination in the foods eaten in California.
The investigation was then focused on the home community in Zimatlan, but only through involv-
ing the California-based community to gain trust for conducting the home-based sampling that was
needed to determine the sources. Through the assistance of Oaxacan community members living in
California, a ‘look-back’ design was selected, working with the extended family members of Oaxa-
can-born migrants in Seaside who had lead poisoning, to contact their family members in Oaxaca
to consent to participate in a study of their home and community environment, including sampling
their foods (both home grown and store bought), cooking practices (before and after testing), and
water and soil samples in their community wells and gardens. Lead sources were identified, as
related primarily to locally produced pottery that released more lead upon cooking than other forms
of pottery and to mining contamination of soils used to grow foods (Villalobos et al., 2009).
In the ethnographic work by Holmes (2006) the topics of working conditions, living conditions,
and health of migrant workers were examined in relation to structural racism, anti-immigrant prac-
tices, ethnicity and citizenship. Through working with a migrant population on farms and in clinics
throughout 15 months of migration in the western US and Mexico, Holmes found that there were
several factors at play, including internal hierarchies amongst the workers, and racism and anti-
immigrant practices that together determined the poor working conditions, living conditions, and
health of migrant workers. More subtle forms of racism also served to reduce awareness of the
social context for all involved, including clinicians.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This review identified 59 articles using binational data to address important questions affecting the
health of communities in the US and in Mexico. These studies provide important insights into
migration and health in the US-Mexico context. Also, important recent shifts in the binational liter-
ature are evidenced by the following:
• A wider range of health-related topics under study than in previous years (e.g. technology
use, health service utilization disparities, mental health);
• An increase in studies that explore connections between transnational or binational commu-
nities (providing insights into the origins of potential ‘carried’ risk or resilience and level of
connectedness to communities of origin);
• More detailed examination of health care-related behaviours;
• Exploration of chronic disease risk factors); and
• Investigations into the migration experience itself.

As these articles describe, the health problems of migrants from Mexico to the United States are
often complex and binational studies provide essential information about health concerns affecting
migrant populations, both in terms of geographies of migration, such as borders, and geographies
of experience. Taken as a whole these findings suggest that not only is there a diverse literature
regarding binational populations and their health, but that there are underlying socio-economic,
political and historical processes that affect health and migration (such as poverty, globalization,
national and regional politics and health related policies), that have been partially examined only in
some of the more recent studies. This expansion of research questions and accompanying designs
is evident in some of the reviewed articles and reflects a shift from a generally more disease preva-
lence focused orientation to a risk factor and socio-ecological framework approach that addresses
the structural determinants of health more directly. However, the majority of studies were observa-
tional and few described interventions in binational settings, a weakness that hopefully future
research will address.
There are a number of strengths and limitations in each type of binational design, and the deci-
sion to choose a design should be guided by the research question. For example, strengths in a par-
allel design include the participation of two study teams, from conception to data collection, to
interpretation of data, and a strong ability to compare differences and similarities for the two popu-
lations, as a consequence of migration. Researchers are able to introduce the same measures, meth-
ods, and data collection protocols, at approximately the same time. Limitations to a parallel design
can include challenges in obtaining representative population-based samples and obtaining large
sample sizes. Clinic-based samples are common as well as cross-sectional data because it is diffi-
cult to develop and implement two-sample concurrent or cohort methodologies. Therefore, to date,
the majority of parallel studies have focused on the border areas, which often involve interdepen-
dent populations in terms of health services and financial and economic relationships, which is
important to factor into the decision-making for these types of studies. However, there are impor-
tant questions which could be answered in future studies that go beyond comparisons of the border
regions and instead look more broadly at health conditions, risk factors and outcomes among
groups in different communities. For example, what are the differences in health outcomes and pre-
ventive behaviours, between Mexicans living in rural versus urban communities in the US after
migration compared with rural and urban residents in communities in Mexico? or to what extent
are factors associated with different living conditions, or social and economic factors within these
communities, impacting health outcomes?
Concurrent study designs, on the other hand, are typically generalizable to larger populations, typi-
cally use existing datasets, and therefore, perhaps are more cost-effective for research questions well-
addressed with this design. For example, concurrent designs can be chosen in instances in which
researchers investigate migration-related selection biases (such as the healthy migrant effect/Hispanic
Health Paradox, or the ‘salmon’ bias, which refers to selective return migration to the country of ori-
gin), or examine the prevalence and impact of acculturation-related health risks. However, because
secondary analyses of existing data are often used for these studies, it is oftentimes difficult to link
samples in the same year, link populations, measures, and data collection systems, or explore impor-
tant social, political and economic factors through the quantitative cross-sectional survey designs most
often employed. Moreover, there may be inconsistent definitions and measures used, based on how
questions were asked in different surveys or how questions are understood based on different cultural
understandings of health behaviours or outcomes. Additionally, these studies have not generally
focused on examination of regional differences, or on the unique ‘risk environments’ of border set-
tings – both areas of study that are critical to developing interventions targeting migrants as they come
into contact with these risk environments. Data collection strategies in future studies may be more
able to include geographic measures associated with different regions and examine more stratifica-
tions of results, and could potentially add questions that may enable a broader understanding of the
socio-economic context of the experiences of individuals included in the sampling.

Finally, look-back studies are particularly useful for deeper exploration of populations with
strong connections, for which the connections may be part of the line of research inquiry under-
taken. This type of design explicitly links populations but is used less often because it often
requires close contact and resource-intensive data collection strategies, and as such tends to be
smaller in scale and less generalizable to other populations. Moving forward, it is important to con-
tinue these look-back studies and to develop ways to expand their focus to include intervention
studies that may work directly with transnational communities.
In the last decade or so, a widely held view in public health, that Mexican migrants often have
better health than their US-born counterparts, has been challenged by concerns that there is no
longer an overall “healthy migrant” effect or related “Hispanic Health Paradox” (as well as aware-
ness of the inherent selection biases in these earlier studies), and that we now have a “globalization
of risk factors”. This shift in perspective on US-Mexican migrant health, however, does not go far
enough and future research must explore the social and economic factors that shape migration (Cas-
ta~
neda et al., 2015) and how these factors play out in changing migration experiences (such as dur-
ing, immediately after, and much later after migration occurs as well as whether or not there is
regular return migration). Through collecting more comprehensive data and by working more clo-
sely with binational communities, we can move a research agenda forward to prioritize a better
understanding of the complex array of chronic and historically mediated social determinants of
health that may be exacerbated or relieved by migration.
With the emergence of large publicly available datasets and efforts to augment the types of data
that are collected, we can begin to compare binational populations from the US and Mexico in new
ways. For example, one could study migrant health topics through combining risk factors measured
at the individual level, such as consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, food insecurity, or lim-
ited use of health care with an examination of these risks in broader socio-ecological terms, as with
measures of the availability low quality foods in migrant communities, poverty rates and measures
of discrimination experiences in healthcare. We also must explore underlying social determinants
of health that also migrate with migrating populations, and examine assumptions that risk gets
‘equalized’ after crossing borders, by understanding what are the lasting effects of chronic poverty
and resource deprivation in sending communities on the quality of health among new migrants.
We propose that future studies take these newer lines of inquiry even further by also addressing
the policy context for service delivery that affects migrant populations, the financial pressures
related specifically to health care expenses and to what factors affect health care sensitive beha-
viours so as to inform interventions and regional and national insurance programs. Additionally,
although there are many US-Mexico border studies that collect primary data on in-depth topics,
there are far fewer studies that are conducted outside of the border areas, and these studies would
be critical to understanding a broader range of migration experiences. The advent of large datasets
from both countries in recent years has allowed for some important national and regional compar-
isons, but are not able to answer other important questions about the social and structural factors
affecting health or for more targeted populations of migrants from sending and receiving communi-
ties. While the look-back studies have grown over time, there are very few of them to date. Also,
the focus among these look-back studies on indigenous communities suggests there are important
factors affecting the health and well-being of these populations that have warranted in-depth assess-
ments. The small number of studies using this design for non-indigenous sending and receiving
communities suggests that there are more studies to be done to examine to what extent the findings
from the existing literature would be relevant to a more diverse range of sending communities.
There are number of considerations when choosing the type of binational research design to
undertake from the design phase, measures and data collection activities, analysis, and interpretation
of the data. In the design phase, identifying who is involved, including collaborators and funders,
is important. In the data collection phase, it is important to understand how to sample populations
and what measures are appropriate for both populations. For example, weight or self-rated health

may be understood differently across contexts. Finally, in the analysis phase, considerations include
how to link data, who analyses the data, and who are the important stakeholders to involve. Ulti-
mately, the study design should be guided by the research question.
This literature review is limited in that it only includes studies which collected data in both the
US and Mexico. It does not include studies that ask migrant questions about transnational practices
or cross-national ties. However, these studies may also contribute to the understanding of binational
populations, practices, and influences, and provide insights into how migrants influence and are
influenced by their communities of origin. For example, studies focused only on migrants find that
over half of Latinos in the US remit money, 40 per cent make weekly phone calls, and 20 per cent
travelled to their sending countries in the past year (Soehl and Waldinger, 2010). Among adoles-
cents, 72 per cent participate in transnational communication through the use of instant messaging,
text messages, and online social network sites (Lam et al., 2009). Other studies have identified
specific activities through which migrants are connected to their communities of origin, including
financial, social, and political ties, and how this influences migrants’ mental health outcomes (Mur-
phy and Mahalingam, 2004). New sources of data to address these communication-focused ques-
tions are likely to appear as social media and technology continues to grow and play an important
part in transnational communication. These new sources may result in additional ways to under-
stand migration and to provide seamless forms of intervention delivery across borders. As well, the
broader environmental shifts in technology and communication may allow for public-private initia-
tives related to binational health topics to be leveraged, ideally to inform strategies for improving
public health initiatives and be translated into local and national policy contexts. Because binational
studies are indicative of how governments and institutions may work more closely together in order
to achieve common public health goals, more work in this policy arena is also a priority (Silver,
2014).
Each of the binational designs described contributes to our understanding of migrant health and
offers critical insights into the processes affecting health outcomes in the US and Mexico. In future
work it will be important to focus on developing interventions that can address migration-exacer-
bated health disparities and that are responsive to local and national policy contexts that affect
health and healthcare that migrants encounter.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work was funded by grants from: the National Institutes of Health (NIH, Bethesda, MD,
USA) funds as follows: P60MD006902 (MH), P30DK092924 (MH), and by the National Center
for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, through UCSF-CTSI Grant Number UL1 TR000004
and through specific binational funding programmes as follows: PIMSA/ Health Initiatives of the
Americas Program in Migration and Health and the University of California Institute for Mexico
and United States (UCMEXUS).
REFERENCES
Barquera, S., R.A. Durazo-Arvizu, A. Luke, et al.

2008 “Hypertension in Mexico and among Mexican Americans: prevalence and treatment patterns”, Jour-
nal of Human Hypertension, 22(9): 617–626.
Banegas, M.P., Y. Bird, J. Moraros, et al.
2012 “Breast cancer knowledge, attitudes, and early detection practices in United States-Mexico border
Latinas”, Journal of Womens Health, 1(1), pp. 101–107.

Barton Behravesh, C., L.F. Mayberry, and J.R. Bristol, et al.

2008 “Population-based survey of taeniasis along the United States-Mexico border”, Annals of Tropical
Medicine and Parasitology, 102(4):325–333.
Bergmark, R., D. Barr, and R. Garcia
2010 “Mexican immigrants in the US living far from the border may return to Mexico for health ser-
vices”, Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health / Center for Minority Public Health, 12(4): 610–
614.
Borges, G., C. Rafful, C. Benjet, et al.
2012 “Mexican immigration to the US and alcohol and drug use opportunities: does it make a difference
in alcohol and/or drug use?”, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 125 Suppl 1: S4–11.
Bostean, G.
2013 “Does selective migration explain the Hispanic paradox? A comparative analysis of Mexicans in
the U.S. and Mexico”, Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health / Center for Minority Public
Health, 15(3): 624–635.
Brabeck, K.M.
2013 The Psychosocial Impact of Detention and Deportation on US Migrant Children and Families: A
Report for the Inter-American Human Rights Court August 2013 (http://www.bc.edu/con-
tent/dam/files/centers/humanrights/doc/IACHRReport20onPyschosocialImpactofDetentionDepor-
tation-FINAL08-16-13.pdf (accessed 25 August 16)
Breslau, J., S. Aguilar-Gaziola, G. Borges, et al.
2007 “Mental disorders among English-speaking Mexican immigrants to the US compared to a national
sample of Mexicans”, Psychiatry Resesarch, 151(1): 115–122.
Breslau J., G. Borges, and N. Saito, et al.
2011 “Migration from Mexico to the United States and conduct disorder: a cross-national study” Archives
of General Psychiatry, 68(12):1284–1293.
Buttenheim, A., N. Goldman, A. R. Pebley
2010 Do Mexican immigrants “import” social gradients in health to the US? Social Science & Medicine
(1982), 71(7):.1268–1276.
Caballero, B.
2007 “The Global Epidemic of Obesity: An Overview”, Epidemiologic Reviews, 29(1): 1–5.
California Office of Binational Border Health (COBBH).
2015 Available at: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/cobbh/Pages/default.aspx (accessed 12 February
2015).
Canela-Soler, J., M. Frontini, M.T. Cerqueira, et al.
2010 [US-Mexico cross-border cooperation in research on diabetes mellitus type 2]. Revista Panameri-
cana De Salud P ublica = Pan American Journal of Public Health, 28(3): 159–163.
Castaneda, H., S.M. Holmes, D.S. Madrigal, et al.
2015 “Immigration as a Social Determinant of Health”, Ann Rev Public Health, 36: 375–92.
Castrucci, B.C., L.E. Pi~na Carrizales, D.V. D’Angelo, et al.
2008a “Attempted Breastfeeding Before Hospital Discharge on Both Sides of the US-Mexico Border,
2005: The Brownsville-Matamoros Sister City Project for Women’s Health”, Preventing Chronic
Disease, 5(4). Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2578764/ (Accessed 12
February 2015).
Castrucci, B.C., A.E. Guzman, M. Saraiya, et al.
2008b “Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women Who Gave Birth in the US-Mexico Border Region,
2005: The Brownsville-Matamoros Sister City Project for Women’s Health”, Preventing Chronic
Disease, 5(4). Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2578779/ [Accessed
February 12, 2015].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2001 “Tuberculosis Along the US-Mexico Border Work Group,. Preventing and controlling tuberculosis
along the U.S.-Mexico border”, MMWR/ Morbidity and mortality weekly report: Recommendations
and reports / Centers for Disease Control, 50(RR-1):1–27.

Cosıo, F.G., B.A. Dıaz-Apodaca, R. Ruiz-Holguın, et al.

2010 “United States-Mexico border diabetes prevalence survey: lessons learned from implementation of
the project”, Revista Panamericana De Salud Publica = Pan American Journal of Public Health,
28(3): 151–158.
de Oca, V.M., T.R. Garcıa, R. Saenz, et al.
2011 “The linkage of life course, migration, health, and aging: health in adults and elderly Mexican
migrants”, Aging Health, 23(7): 1116–40.
Deiss, R.G., K.C. Brouwer, O. Loza, et al.
2008 “High-risk sexual and drug using behaviors among male injection drug users who have sex with
men in 2 Mexico-US border cities”, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 35(3): 243–249.
Dıaz-Apodaca, B.A., S. Ebrahim, and V. McCormack, et al.
2010a “Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes and impaired fasting glucose: cross-sectional study of multiethnic
adult population at the United States-Mexico border”, Revista Panamericana De Salud P ublica =
Pan American Journal of Public Health, 28(3):174–181.
Dıaz-Apodaca, B.A., F.G. de Cosıo, J. Canela-Soler
2010b “Quality of diabetes care: a cross-sectional study of adults of Hispanic origin across and along the
United States-Mexico border”, Revista Panamericana De Salud P ublica = Pan American Journal
of Public Health, 28(3): 207–213.
Galvan Gonzalez, F.G., G.G. Mirchandani, J.A. McDonald, et al.
2008 “Characteristics of young women who gave birth in the US-Mexico border region, 2005: the Browns-
ville-Matamoros Sister City Project for Women’s Health”, Preventing Chronic Disease, 5(4): A120.
Garcia, V.
2007 “Meeting a binational research challenge: substance abuse among transnational Mexican farmwork-
ers in the United States”, The Journal of Rural Health, 23 Suppl: 61–67.
Garfein, R.
2012 “High Tuberculosis Treatment Adherence Obtained Using Mobile Phones for Video Directly
Observed Therapy: Results of a Binational Pilot Study”, Journal of Mobile Technology in Medi-
cine, 1(4S): 30–30.
Giuliano, A.R., M. Papenfuss, M. Abrahamsen, et al.
2002 “Differences in factors associated with oncogenic and nononcogenic human papillomavirus infec-
tion at the United States-Mexico border”, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, Ameri-
can Association for Cancer Research, Cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive
Oncology, 11(9): 930–934.
Goodman, K.J., K. O’Rourke, R.S. Day, et al.
2005 “Dynamics of Helicobacter pylori infection in a US-Mexico cohort during the first two years of
life”, International Journal of Epidemiology, 34(6): 1348–1355.
Gossman, G.L., C.A.C. Gaarza, C.H. Johnson, et al.
2008 “Prenatal HIV testing in the US-Mexico border region, 2005: the Brownsville Matamoros Sister
City Project for Women’s Health”, Preventative Chronic Disease, 5(4): 121.
Grieshop, J.I.
2006 “The Envios of San Pablo Huixtepec, Oaxaca: Food, Home, and Transnationalism”, Human Orga-
nization, 65(4): 400–406.
Guendelman, S., C. Malin, and B. Herr-Harthorn, et al.
2001 “Orientations to motherhood and male partner support among women in Mexico and Mexican-ori-
gin women in the United States”, Social Science & Medicine, 52(12):1805–1813.
Guendelman, S., L.C. Fernald, and L.M. Neufeld
2010 “Maternal perceptions of early childhood ideal body weight differ among Mexican-origin mothers
residing in Mexico compared to California”, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 110(2):
222–229.
Guendelman, S., M.L. Ritterman-Weintraub, L.C. Fernald, et al.
2011 “Weight Perceptions Among Overweight and Obese Women: A US-Mexico Binational Perspec-
tive”, Obesity, 19(12): 2440–2443.

Handley, M.A., C. Hall, E. Sanford, et al.

2007 “Globalization, binational communities, and imported food risks: results of an outbreak investiga-
tion of lead poisoning in Monterey County, California”, American Journal of Public Health, 97(5):
900–906.
Handley, M.A., M. Robles, E. Sanford, et al.
2013 “Navigating changing food environments – Transnational perspectives on dietary behaviours and
implications for nutrition counselling”, Global Public Health, 8(3): 245–257.
Handley, M.A. and J. Grieshop
2007 “Globalized migration and transnational epidemiology”, International Journal of Epidemiology, 36
(6): 1205–1206.
Health Initiative of the Americas (HIA). Health Initiative of the Americas (HIA) UC Berkeley. Available at:
http://hia.berkeley.edu/ [Accessed February 12, 2015b].Herrera, D.G. et al.,
2012 Cervical cancer screening in the US-Mexico border region: a binational analysis. Maternal and
Child Health Journal, 2, pp. 298–306.
Hennessy-Burt, T.E. et al.,
2011 A pilot binational study of health behaviors and immigration. Journal of Immigrant and Minority
Health, 13(6): 1142–9.
Holmes, S.M.
2006 “An Ethnographic Study of the Social Context of Migrant Health in the United States”, PLoS Med,
3(10: 448.
Hunter, J.B., J.G. de Zapien, C.A. Denman, et al.
2003 “Healthcare access and utilization among women 40 and older at the U.S.-Mexico border: predic-
tors of a routine check-up”, Journal of Community Health, 28(5): 317–33.
Infante, C., A.J. Idrovo, M.S. Sanchez-Domınguez, et al.
2012 Violence committed against migrants in transit: experiences on the Northern Mexican border. Jour-
nal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 14(3): 449–59.
Kotelchuck, M.
2008 “Reproductive Health Surveillance in the US-Mexico Border Region: Beyond the Border (and Into
the Future)”, Preventing Chronic Disease, 5(4). Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti-
cles/PMC2578788/ (accessed 12 February 2015).
Lam, W.S.E. & Rosario-Ramos, E.,
2009 Multilingual literacies in transnational digitally mediated contexts: an exploratory study of immi-
grant teens in the United States. Language and Education, 23(2), pp. 171–190.
Leiner, M., H. Puertas, and R. Caratachea, et al.
2012 “Children’s mental health and collective violence: a binational study on the United States-Mexico
border”, Revista Panamericana De Salud P ublica = Pan American Journal of Public Health, 31
(5):411–416.
Lopez-Zetina, J., R. Sanchez-Huesca, B. Rios-Ellis et al.
2010 “Initiation to methamphetamine use in a binatinal sample of women at the US-Mexico border”,
Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 9(1): 28–39.
Lorig, K.R., P.L. Ritter and A. Jacquez
2010 “Outcomes of border health Spanish/English chronic disease self-management programs”, Diabetes
Education, 31(3): 401–9.
Martınez, M.E.
2010 “Comparative study of breast cancer in Mexican and Mexican-American women. Health (N Y)”,
02(09):1040–1048.
Martınez, M.E., E. Pond, B.C. Wetheim, et al.
2013 “Association Between Parity and Obesity in Mexican and Mexican-American Women: Findings
from the Ella Binational Breast Cancer Study”. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 15(2):
234–243.
Maxwell, J.C., P. Cravioto, F. Galvan, et al.
2006 “Drug use and risk of HIV/AIDS on the Mexico-USA border: a comparison of treatment admis-
sions in both countries”, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 82 Suppl 1: S85–93.

McDonald, J.A., O. Mojarro, P.D. Sutton et al.

2013 “A Binational Overview of Reproductive Health Outcomes Among US Hispanic and Mexican
Women in the Border Region”, Preventing Chronic Disease, 10. Available at: http://
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3748278/ (accessed 2 December 2014).
McDonald, J.A., C.H. Johnson, R. Smith, et al.
2008 “Reproductive health surveillance in the US-Mexico border region, 2003-2006: the Brownsville-
Matamoros Sister City Project for Women’s Health”, Preventing Chronic Disease, 5(4): A126.
McDonald, J.A.
2008 “The Past, Present, and Future of Reproductive Health Surveillance in the US-Mexico Border
Region”, Preventing Chronic Disease, 5(4). Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/
PMC2578776/ (accessed 12 February 2015).
McDonald, J.A., K. Rishel, M.A. Escobedo, et al.
2015 “Obstetric emergencies at the United States-Mexico border crossings in El Paso, Texas”, Revista
Panamericana De Salud Publica = Pan American Journal of Public Health, 37(2): 76–82.
Mier, N., et al.
2008 “Clinical Depressive Symptoms and Diabetes in a Binational Border Population”, The Journal of
the American Board of Family Medicine, 21(3): 223–233.
Morales, L.S., Y.N. Flores, M. Leng, et al.
2014 Risk factors for cardiovascular disease among Mexican-American adults in the United States and
Mexico: a comparative study. Salud P ublica de Mexico, 56(2): 197–205.
Mu~noz, F.A., A.E. Servin, J. Kozo, et al.
2013 A binational comparison of HIV provider attitudes towards the use of complementary and alterna-
tive medicine among HIV-positive Latino patients receiving care in the US-Mexico border region.
AIDS care, 25(8): 990–997.
Murphy, E.J., and R. Mahalingam
2004 Transnational Ties and Mental Health of Caribbean Immigrants. Journal of Immigrant Health, 6(4):
167–178.
Nodora, J.N., L. Gallo, R. Cooper, et al.
2014 “Reproductive and Hormonal Risk Profile According to Language Acculturation and Country of
Residence in the Ella Binational Breast Cancer Study”, Journal of Womens Health, 23(6): 532–
540.
Ojeda, V.D., A.M. Robertson, S.P. Hiller, et al.
2011 “A qualitative view of drug use behaviors of Mexican male injection drug users deported from the
United States”, Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 88(1):
104–117.
O’Rourke, K., K.J. Goodman, M. Grazioplene, et al.
2003 “Determinants of geographic variation in Helicobacter pylori infection among children on the US-
Mexico border”, American Journal of Epidemiology, 158(8): 816–824.
Orozco, R., G. Borges, M.E. Medina-Mora, et al.
2013 “A cross-national study on prevalence of mental disorders, service use, and adequacy of treatment
among Mexican and Mexican American populations”, American Journal of Public Health, 103(9):
1610–1618.
Patterson, T.L., S.J. Semple, H. Staines, et al.
2008 “Prevalence and Correlates of HIV Infection among Female Sex Workers in Two Mexico-U.S. Bor-
der Cities”, The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 197(5): 728–732.
Pinedo, M., Y. Campos, D. Leal, et al.
2014 “Alcohol Use Behaviors Among indigenous Migrants: A Transnational Study on Communities of
Origin and Destination”, Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 16(3): 348–355.
Ramos, M.M., H. Mohammed, E. Zielinski-Gutierrez, et al.
2008 “Epidemic Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever at the Texas-Mexico Border: Results of a
Household-based Seroepidemiologic Survey, December 2005”, The American Journal of Tropical
Medicine and Hygiene, 78(3): 364–369.

Riosmena, F., R. Wong, and A. Palloni

2013 “Migration selection, protection, and acculturation in health: a binational perspective on older
adults”, Demography, 50(3): 1039–1064.
Rivera, J.O., C. Kallol, and G-S. Armando, et al.
2005 “Herbal product use by hispanic surgical patients”, The American Surgeon, 71(1): 71–76.
Rivera, J.O., M. Ortiz, and V. Cardenas
2009 “Cross-border purchase of medications and health care in a sample of residents of El Paso, Texas,
and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico”, Journal of the National Medical Association, 101(2): 167–173.
Ro, A. and N. Fleischer
2014 “Changes in health selection of obesity among Mexican immigrants: a binational examination”,
Social Science & Medicine (1982), 123: 114–124.
Robertson, A.M., R.S. Garfein, K.D. Wagner, et al.
2014 “Evaluating the impact of Mexico’s drug policy reforms on people who inject drugs in Tijuana,
B.C., Mexico, and San Diego, CA, United States: a binational mixed methods research agenda”,
Harm Reduction Journal, 11: 4.
Robles, J.L., K.L. Lewis, and S.G. Folger, et al.
2008 “Prior contraceptive use among women who gave birth in the US-Mexico border region, 2005: the
Brownsville-Matamoros Sister City Project for Women’s Health”, Preventing Chronic Disease, 5
(4):A128.
Rosas, L.G., K. Harley, L.C. Fernald, et al.
2009 “Dietary associations of household food insecurity among children of Mexican descent: results of a
binational study”, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 109(12): 2001–2009.
Russell, A.Y., M.S. Williams, P.A. Farr, et al.
1999 “The mental health status of young Hispanic women residing along the border: a twin cities com-
parison”, Women & Health, 28(3): 15–32.
Salgado, H., I. Haviland I, M. Hernandez, et al.
2014 “Perceived discrimination and religiosity as potential mediating factors between migration and
depressive symptoms: a transnational study of an Indigenous Mayan population”, Journal of Immi-
grant and Minority Health, 16(3): 340–347.
Sarnat, S.E.
2012 Air pollution and acute respiratory response in a panel of asthmatic children along the U.S.-
Mexico border. Environmental Health Perspectives, 120(3), pp. 437–44.
Servin, A.E., F.A. Mu~noz, S.A. Strathdee, et al.
2012 Choosing sides: HIV health care practices among shared populations of HIV-positive Latinos living
near the US-Mexico border. Journal of the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care
(Chicago, Ill.: 2002), 11(6): 348–355.
Silver, A.
2014 Families Across Borders: The Emotional Impacts of Migration on Origin Families. International
Migration, 52:3: 194–220.
Soehl, T. & R. Waldinger
2010 Making the connection: Latino immigrants and their cross-border ties. Ethnic and Racial Studies,
33(9): 1489–1510.
Stallones, L., M.S. Acosta, P. Sample, et al.
2009 “Perspectives on safety and health among migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the United States
and Mexico: a qualitative field study”, The Journal of Rural Health: Official Journal of the Ameri-
can Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association, 25(2): 219–225.
Stoddard, P., G. He, M. Vijayaraghavan, et al.
2010 Disparities in undiagnosed diabetes among United States-Mexico border populations. Review
Revista Panamericana De Salud Publica = Pan American Journal of Public Health, 28(3): 198–
206.
Strathdee, S.A., R. Lozada, S.J. Semple, et al.
2008 “Characteristics of female sex workers with US clients in two Mexico-US border cities”, Sexually
Transmitted Diseases, 35(3): 263–268.

Uribe Zu~niga, P.
2008 “Exchanging information about reproductive and sexual health on the US-Mexico border: a good
example of collaboration”, Preventing Chronic Disease, 5(4): A111.
Vera-Becerra, L.E., M.L. Lopez, and L.L. Kaiser
2013 “Child Feeding Practices and Overweight Status Among Mexican Immigrant Families”, Journal of
Immigrant and Minority Health: 1–8.
Vijayaraghavan, M., G. He, P. Stoddard, et al.
2010 “Blood pressure control, hypertension, awareness, and treatment in adults with diabetes in the Uni-
ted States-Mexico border region”, Revista Panamericana De Salud P ublica = Pan American Jour-
nal of Public Health, 28(3): 164–173.
Villalobos, M., C. Hall, J. Grieshop, et al.
2009 “Lead (II) detection and contamination routes in environmental sources, cookware and home-pre-
pared foods from Zimatlan, Oaxaca, Mexico”, The Science of the Total Environment, 407(8):
2836–2844.
Wallace, D. et al.,
2007 “Pap smear screening among women >/=40 years residing at the United States-Mexico border”,
Health Care Women International, 28(9), pp. 799–816. 2007.
Weinberg, M. et al.,
2003 The U.S.-Mexico Border Infectious Disease Surveillance Project: Establishing Binational Border
Surveillance. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 9(1), pp. 97–102.
u~niga, M.L. et al.,
Z
2012 A binational study of patient-initiated changes to antiretroviral therapy regimen among HIV-positive
Latinos living in the Mexico-U.S. border region. AIDS and Behavior, 16(6), pp. 1622–1629.

International Migration - 2017 - Handley - The Important Role of Binational Studies For Migration and Health Research A

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

International Migration - 2017 - Handley - The Important Role of Binational Studies For Migration and Health Research A

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

14682435, 2017, 5, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/imig.12306 by Universitetsbiblioteket I, Wiley Online Library on [28/12/2022].

The Important Role of Binational Studies for

* University of California, San Francisco

© 2017 The Authors

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

Search Terms Included:

Classification of Study Designs

processes among Mexican-born immigrants or on reducing selection biases associated with

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

to make unsupervised changes in

398 in Mexico) in 2010.

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

ences in blood pressure control,

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

emerged: safety and health con-

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

Chronic Disease two-thirds with dia- improvements in health behav-

pants returned to Mexico for care

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

characteristics, knowl- and clinical breast examination

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

the prevalence of alcohol use in

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

Castrucci BC, Pin

et al. ville-Matamoros Sister 2 communities (110.6 and 190.2

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

dren ate away from home more

(n=364) and Mexico women residing in Mexico, Mex-

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

Author Year Outcomes Study design Data sources Findings

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

Interview data Mexican-Americans (21%)

Author Year Outcomes Study design Data sources Findings

(n=1454); adjusted associated with a recent Pap

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

Author Year Outcomes Study design Data sources Findings

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

Author Year Outcomes Study design Data sources Findings

Interview (n=2663) ican-American children of US-

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

Author Year Outcomes Study design Data sources Findings

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

Author Year Outcomes Study design Data sources Findings

health education and promo-

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

Author Year Outcomes Study design Data sources Findings

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

Author Year Outcomes Study design Data sources Findings

lence than recent immigrant

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM

Author Year Outcomes Study design Data sources Findings

© 2017 The Authors. International Migration © 2017 IOM